Liechtenstein Signals Tax Deadline

18.03.2010

According to Liechtenstein’s government administration, tax declarations for the 2009 tax year are to be completed, either in paper format or via the Internet service “eTax”, by April 16.

Taxpayers are required to return their tax declarations, together with any additional requested information, to the local tax office by April 16, 2010. The administration is eager to point out that certain forms have either been updated or replaced. It also highlights the fact that for married couples, the tax declaration is to be signed personally by both parties.

Any individual, who is unable to complete the 2009 tax declaration by the specified date, is asked to contact the relevant tax office in order to request an extension to the filing deadline. Failure to complete and return a tax declaration within the set timeframe will result in a fine.

The country’s administration also notes that any taxpayers, who have previously completed their tax declaration online via the tax administration’s software system “eTax”, will be able to retrieve certain information from the previous year. Around 30% of all taxpayers completed their 2008 declaration using this service.

The Liechtenstein administration has emphasized the importance of the barcode sheet for processing annual tax declarations. According to the administration, taxypayers electing to complete their 2009 declaration online are also required to return their barcode sheet and pre-printed form to enable the country’s tax authorities to process the information, as these documents contain key information, which is then fed electronically into the administration’s EDV system.

In operation for three years now, Liechtenstein’s “eTax” software system, has served to significantly simplify the tax declaration process for both taxpayers and the tax authorities.